Cohle
Leaning against the train window, his mind finally turned to the previous night. He'd gone to find Lily, not sure what to say or do as he didn't fully understand yet. She'd broken from Celestia's arms and shoved him back, screaming that she hated him before running from the room. The older woman gave him a pitying look before following after her.
"Do you think she'll ever talk to me again?" He asked, looking at his two caretakers.
Wastkin smiled. "Miss Lily doesn't hate you, Master Venge. If anything, that outburst last night shows how much she loves you."
"Could've fooled me." He grumbled.
"I believe she might even have herself fooled as well." The butler mused. "What the both of you learned last night should've been addressed more delicately with her. But that wasn't the case and now we must accept the consequences."
"She's clearly not a fan of my mother."
Wastkin sighed. "She's had nearly thirteen years to understand the truth of the matter. But some hurts run too deep."
"Wastkin." Celestia warned, but he waved her off.
"The night the queen fell, what little control she had over her more... shall we call them fringe subjects also collapsed. They used her defeat as an excuse to go on a rampage. And Miss Lily's village was right in their way." He continued, ignoring the woman's stern look. "Her mother, not wanting to see her family slaughtered in such a brutal fashion pleaded with her father to make their ends swift and clean."
"They had time to run." Celestia spat. "But she let fear get to her before reason could."
Wastkin half shrugged. "We can only guess at what we'd do when placed in situations like those, regardless our confidence after the fact."
"How'd Lily survive?" Cohle asked.
"Her father killed himself after killing her mother and younger brother." Celestia answered. "Why he left her alive, I can't say. Guilt, maybe?"
"The demons arrived shortly after that. But fortunately for Miss Lily, so did I." Wastkin said. "I remember how she cried. Having just lost the woman I swore my life to, her pain mirrored my own."
"Wait, are you-"
Celestia and Wastkin held their fingers to their lips while he parted a segment of his black hair revealing a smooth stump where a horn once had been. Cohle nodded, surprised that the man he'd spent so much time around had been a demon all along.
"And so, I took her into my care and in short order, we were retained by Madam Celestia." He concluded. "She didn't speak again after her tears dried, instead she dedicated herself to making dolls. Crafting one for every member of the house. She was going to show you yours last night, I believe."
"Her room's filled with the things." The woman said. "Spends the bulk of her pay on supplies for them."
"More than the dolls, it's you who's been the healing presence for her. But in being a proxy for her lost family, you've also become a proxy for what took her family from her. It will take time, but she'll accept both halves of you." Wastkin said, patting his knee. "Now, sleep while you can. There's still a few hours before we have to switch and I suspect Madam will want to get as much education in you as she can while we're stuck sitting."
He nodded and rested his head back against the cool glass, letting his eyes drift closed as he watched the countryside speed by.
~
"Cohle, dear, are you augmenting yourself?" Celestia asked as he and Wastkin sparred while waiting for the next train.
"I don't think so." He answered, deflecting an incoming strike. "If I am, I'm not aware of it."
"Are you able to see every move I make?" The butler asked, thrusting repeatedly.
Cohle laughed. "Maybe about a third of them? Mostly I'm relying on instinct."
"Fascinating." Wastkin said, increasing his speed and knocking the boy to the ground, pressing the tip of his thin sword to his throat for a moment before pulling him back to his feet. "I believe our train is arriving."
After a boring wait in line, they're able to take their seats where Celestia immediately switched into her educator persona.
"I want you to create a mana orb. That's your first task." She said sternly, interlocking her fingers together and looking over them.
"But, I've never-"
"Time to learn." She said sharply.
Resisting the urge to respond by rolling his eyes or sighing took more effort than it should've, but he closed his eyes and rested his hand palm up on the table between them.
"Don't think of casting a spell. Just seize control of the mana and shape it in your palm." He heard her say. "The mana wants to do your bidding, so don't try to force it."
As the train began moving, he had managed a shapeless blob, but Celestia demanded an orb. After a few hours, an oblong sphere formed, but he felt drained from the effort and found it hard to keep his eyes open as he listened to her give him advice.
The following day yielded better results and by lunchtime, Celestia was happy with his progress and wanted him to change its shape. He chose a cube and a star, much to the delight of the small girl across from them. He smiled at her and asked if she had any requests, but before she could answer her mother politely swapped their places and gave them a tight smile. Wastkin scoffed quietly, but Celestia was in no mood.
"I apologize for my ward." She said, offering her hand. "Celestia Lightbringer."
The woman's expression changed instantly and the two continued exchanging pleasantries while Wastkin leaned closer to Cohle. "About time she used her fame for something."
He was taken aback by the sudden lack of decorum from him, but a moment later it was as if he'd never said anything. Cohle wondered for a few hours if the butler had actually said it or if he'd imagined it.
~
"Still smells like Dell." Celestia grumbled two days later.
"We won't be lingering long, Madam. We have what we need already, so we can leave once we've claimed our bags." Wastkin said over his shoulder.
Celestia nodded, folding her arms impatiently. "The rest of the way will be on foot."
Cohle nodded, massaging his chest from the tension in it that had grown worse the closer they drew to Dell. It hadn't become painful yet, but it was distracting enough that sleep had been difficult no matter how exhausted he'd been after Celestia's lessons.
They'd all been centered around mana control and it occurred to him more than once that she seemed to understand quite a bit about how his casting worked. Which raised questions about whether she'd helped his father or if he'd explained it to her at some point. He had a feeling she'd be evasive with her response and not needing the irritation, he decided it was better to not ask at all.
"Here we are." Wastkin said, handing everyone their packs. "And off we go."
Dell was a filthy place, even for a mining town, and Cohle was able to instantly pick out the ones who didn't belong from how clean they were. But there was something more to it than just hard work, it was as if the people were weighed down by some unseen force that forced them to be slightly hunched over. Even the children played slow, passive games.
"It's the miasma from the mines." Celestia explained as they walked. "One of the Uniques. It provides minerals and gems we need across the continent, but there's a miasma in the dungeon that pollutes the air here. Very rarely does anyone live to reach my age."
Cohle had never considered Celestia's age before, but looking at her, he guessed her to be around her mid-forties. Past the prime for most adventurers, but he suspected that she could still hold her own in a fight. She gave him a sharp look and he turned his attention back forward again.
"It'll take us about three days to reach the remains of the castle." Wastkin said as they left the town. "It's safer to walk at night and sleep during the day. So we'll get a head start on it now."
Celestia agrees and their pace is set, walking along the soft dirt road until the sun begins to set. As dark consumes the area around them, there's a sudden, unsettling quiet all around them.
"To me." Celestia urges quietly.
Wastkin's by her side immediately, but Cohle's frozen. A blinding pain is coursing through his body from his chest, stealing his breath. But as quickly as it started, it vanished. In its place was a throbbing ache as he panted heavily.
"I'm fine." He said breathlessly, leaning on his knees.
When he got no response, he looked around but his companions were gone. A familiar feeling crawled down his back as he looked around for them, but he pushed it away. This was different. Darker.
"Hello? Celestia? Wastkin?" He called, but his voice didn't carry.
"This way."
He spun and caught sight of a shadow beckoning to him. "Who are you?"
"Hurry." It urged.
He took a step forward, then froze again. He hadn't heard the voice, it had been inside his head. Backing away from the shadow, he reached for a sword that was no longer on his hip. "What's going on? Where am I? What'd you do with Celestia and Wastkin?"
"There's little time! You must hurry!"
"Little time for wh-ARGH!" He screamed as pain assailed his body again, driving him to his knees. This time, he felt hollowed out by it when it faded and vomited.
"Please!" The shadow was looming over him now.
"Will the pain stop if I come?" He asked shakily.
"Only if you hurry!"
Forcing himself to get to his feet, he did his best to keep up with the shadow that seemed to flit from spot to spot, urging him to move faster. He felt the tension in his chest building again and started running, only to collapse with a scream as his body was once again tortured from within.
Ignoring the urge to stop and ask what was happening to him, he scrambled to his feet as it started to ebb and continued running. The cycle continued for hours until there was no time between attacks, but he didn't stop. The shadow would occasionally pass through him, giving him just enough relief to keep going when he was on the verge of collapse, but soon even that did nothing.
He felt like he was going to explode from the inside as he crested a hill, his breath was shallow and torturous while his vision was blurry and growing dim. He was at his limit and let himself fall, rolling down the hill until he collided with a rock.
"We've arrived." The voice said, weaker and distant.
Cohle heard it, but his mind was being consumed by the fires of hell raging inside him. He wanted to scream, he wanted to die, he wanted it to end. But it only continued to escalate past the point he would've thought possible if he were able to think anymore.
It felt like his entire world was suffering for an eternity before the fire began to burn out. There was a coolness flowing into him and as his vision cleared, he saw a shadow above him. More distinct than the one he'd followed, but still vague and formless.
"Who-" He tried to ask, but he was too weak to continue.
The shadow lifted its hands away from him, reaching up to its head and grabbing hold of two horns before wrenching down, snapping them off. It wailed in unspoken misery before leaning over him. He was surprised that he could feel anything but pain, but the sensation of the shadow's horns being placed on him cut through it with startling clarity.
There was one last surge through his body so great that he couldn't cry out, but when it faded, there was no pain, only an exhaustion so profound that he was losing consciousness even as the shadow caressed his face and faded into smoke.
Celestia
Falling to her knees in exhausted relief, she pulled the unconscious boy into her arms and held him tightly. When he'd disappeared their first night out, she'd been so overcome with panic that it took Wastkin slapping her to pull her out of it.
"Oh, thank you. Thank you." She breathed.
"Madam." Wastkin said darkly, taking the boy from her and laying him down. "He's awakened."
"What?" She asked, looking from Cohle to the butler before realization dawned on her. "Oh. Oh."
Checking him over, she discovered a series of mana channels unlike any she'd ever encountered before growing like tendrils inside him. They were still woefully underdeveloped, but once they finished, they'd be more powerful than her own.
"Do you know how demons channel mana, Madam?" Wastkin asked suddenly.
She looked at him as he knelt over something. "Their horns, right?"
"Correct. They pull mana into their bodies using their horns and channel that into the spellforms." He said solemnly, picking up something grey and holding it gingerly as it began to fall apart.
"Those are-"
"Yes, Madam." Wastkin said as the horn crumbled into dust. "Queen Corra's horns. I thought them lost."
"Cohle mentioned something about the tension in his chest. I thought it was anxiety."
He nodded. "I thought so too when he told us the same thing after he and Miss Lily had their incident. But now-"
"A partial awakening?"
"I suspect so. With the exception of the incident in Dural concerning Miss Mara's death, I'm beginning to believe that each time since, his body's been responding to a need but was unable to fulfill it."
"He needed a catalyst. But if Corra's horns were supposed to be lost, how are they here now?" She asked. "And why now? Why couldn't it wait until we reached here?"
"If I had to guess..." He mumbled.
"Whatever it was, was running out of time." Celestia finished, looking down at Cohle. "It was Corra."
Wastkin said nothing, dusting his hands and straightening. "You're tired, Madam. And there's no sign he'll be waking soon. I'll set up camp."
Derek Indigo
He wrinkled his nose at the cell. The smell was worse than a days old battlefield and the prisoner within had been treated worse than any who'd occupied this dungeon before.
"You were doing something. I felt it." He said coldly. "You're less than you were before."
Dull red eyes just stared up from him as she lay on the stone floor. She hadn't uttered a word since her capture, not even a moan of pain as they ripped into her time and again. He thought back to how she had looked before, how flawless a beauty she'd been even in defeat. It was no wonder why his closest friend had been so taken with her.
But now she was barely more than a skeleton covered in mottled flesh. And in the aftermath of whatever she had done, not even her eyes held the same ferocity they once did. They were tired. Beyond that, they were ready for the end.
"Were you not so important or fragile, I'd cut the answer out of you." He said finally, turning and walking away from the cell. "Your secrets will amount to nothing soon enough, Corra. But for now, you are forbidden from dying until the Lord gives you leave."
Celestia
She scowled for the umpteenth time at the metal cup. It ruined the taste of her tea, but since she adamantly refused to drink the coffee the other two seemed to exist on, she had no choice but to accept the container.
It took nearly a week for Cohle to wake up after they found him, and three days after that for him to recover enough to move around like normal. Their biggest current hurdle was his inability to channel mana properly anymore. With his undeveloped channels, the way he used mana overloaded them and practically crippled him each time.
But the other part of his awakening thrilled Wastkin as, even without mana, Cohle was now able to properly spar against her butler. However, his body was lagging behind what he wanted it to do and required extensive conditioning as he'd been unconsciously relying on mana to support him before. But with nothing else for her to do, Cohle was slowly starting to grow restless at her silence the past month.
She'd brought him here to tell him things about his family, but so far, all he'd done was spar, explore, and ask questions that went unanswered unless Wastkin had input. It was a good distraction as he was able to learn about his mother's rule through the man who'd been at her side, but it wasn't the satisfaction he was after.
"I believe that'll do for today. You made it five minutes longer than yesterday." Wastkin said, sheathing his sword.
Cohle nodded, panting heavily. Celestia could see it in his eyes when he glanced at her, today she wouldn't be able to avoid it any longer. She had to live up to her word.
Cohle
"They first met in a forest not far from Dell. We were on a mission to clear out a small dungeon so it could be scouted for resources." Celestia said when he sat down. "She'd twisted her ankle and your father being your father took it upon himself to start bandaging it, though it was likely already healed by the time he got her shoe off."
He ignored the sweat dripping into his eyes and paid closer attention to the woman as she spoke, not wanting to miss a single syllable.
"See, the thing about Than is that it didn't matter if you were demon or human. He judged everyone on their actions. If she'd turned out to be cruel, he would've gone after her and regretted his kindness. But that wasn't the case." She continued, then laughed. "In fact, we were all pretty surprised when she kept turning up everywhere we went."
"She was intrigued by him." Wastkin said. "That's what she would tell me, anyway. But Corra rarely let things like mere curiosity hold her attention for long. Not when she was trying to establish a home here."
"What was it, then?" Cohle asked.
"I can't really say. I do know that it developed quickly for her, whatever it was." He replied.
"For Than as well. He was a little worried that she was stalking us at first, but then it was endearing the way she'd try to approach him without us noticing. You see, back then some demons would play mind games with humans in order to get closer so they could do more damage. But it was pretty apparent to us that wasn't what was happening." Celestia said. "Even Derek, as xenophobic as he was, called it adorable once or twice. Ophelia and Rys picked up on it before the rest of us. The demon had a crush."
"And you had no idea who she was at the time, either." Wastkin added, chuckling. "Poor Than, I remember her telling me about the expression on his face. It was like a castle had been dropped on him, poor lad."
"We got a decree from the pope that any demons or demon sympathizers were to be killed on sight. It wasn't a hunting license, but you wouldn't be surprised at how that writ was interpreted." Celestia said bitterly. "So when Derek next saw Corra, he attacked without question. I thought Than was going to kill him. They were best friends, you see. He trusted Derek above everyone else and thought that he'd have his back when it came to her, but they fought to a standstill. Than was the stronger, but couldn't bring himself to kill his friend."
Cohle was on the edge of his seat as Celestia slowly sipped at her drink. "That was when she revealed herself as the queen. She didn't really have much choice, Derek's attack would've been fatal if she didn't heal herself. To say Than was shocked would be more than an understatement, but he handled it well. He ordered me to finish healing her and told Derek that Kingsguard weren't murderers. We didn't kill whoever just because we were ordered to. We were better than that."
"Then he told her to leave." Wastkin picked up. "That's when I knew that she'd fallen for a human. The look on her face for weeks after said everything it needed to."
"Than was the same way. I think it ate at him, the way she'd been treated on a human's order. How one of his own had attacked and nearly killed her. He was cold for a while, then he was gone and we were without our leader for months."
"He'd come to the castle." The butler said, a pained expression on his face. "She tried turning him away, but there was a pull between them. Drawing them to one another. When he didn't give in and continued demanding an audience, she finally relented. That was the beginning of the end."
"When he came back, he was practically exploding with joy because Corra was pregnant with his child. We were all happy for him, save the one who should've been the most excited for him."
"Derek." Cohle said darkly.
"The day you were born was the breaking of Kingsguard. Derek led the charge on the castle while the rest of us were at Corra's side. Than held the line while she gave birth, but she never got the chance to even hold you as Derek broke through, taking Than and demanding that Corra surrender." Celestia said. "I asked the Lightbringers to keep you safe, and it wasn't until those years later that I learned Mara had been the only survivor of that escape."
"What happened? To my father and mother?"
"Until recently, I had thought that they were both killed that night. Had your mother been at full strength, she would've never fallen. But she bought enough time for Mara and the others to escape. Derek crucified your father as a traitor to the Church and his people. Corra, we now suspect, was taken prisoner."
Cohle shot to his feet. "So she's alive?"
"We don't know, lad." Wastkin said, grabbing his arm and pulling him down. "But your awakening required a catalyst and I discovered Corra's horns not far from where we found you. And your story about the shadow... There's too many unknowns. Too much guesswork. And far too much danger to be sure."
"So what do I do?" He asked, feeling a storm of emotions building inside him. "I know my story, but..."
"There's always more to it, dear. For now, you rest, train, and grow stronger." Celestia said, pressing a finger under each eye and sniffing. "I'll do what I can to help you."
Not sure what else to do, he nodded and got to his feet. He needed to be alone for a while to think through what he'd just been told. He was angry. More angry than he'd ever thought possible. His entire life ripped from him, ripped from parents who would've loved him, all because one man couldn't accept a demon could love a human.
He screamed his fury at the setting sun and forced mana through his body, wanting to actually give sensation to the pain he felt in his soul. Falling back onto the rubble of what should've been his home, he sighed heavily and reached a decision. He'd do whatever he needed to do to get strong enough to get revenge on the ones responsible.
~
Cohle didn't wait for Celestia to tell him that he needed to hurry and change, running into the house and down the hallway, slowing in front of the door with the small pillow that had Lily's name embroidered into it hanging from a hook. Pushing it open, he saw the woman curled tightly around a pillow on her bed.
He felt slightly awkward seeing her in the thin nightclothes instead of her usual dress, but a passing maid gave him a gentle shove without slowing her pace and he was standing in her room. Dolls sat on nearly every surface and a small desk with supplies piled onto it resided in the corner.
Trying not to nose around her private room, he couldn't help spying a tuft of white laying haphazardly against the wall. Picking it up, he let out a silent laugh. It had a thin layer of dust on it, but it was clearly meant to be a representation of him. A needle and thread still hung from where she'd been in the middle of stitching the hair on.
Pulling out the chair to her desk, he sat down and after practically painting the top of the head red from poking his fingers, he was satisfied that the hair wouldn't come off. The only thing remaining were eyes, and he looked for something he could use in a few of the small drawers before settling on two red buttons. Nearly an hour later, he admired his work and got up from the chair.
"You probably made this for me, but I think he'll do a better job keeping you safe." He said quietly, setting the doll on a pillow next to her before leaning over and kissing the woman's head. "I missed you."
He hesitated as he straightened, loathe to have to leave so soon after coming back, but walked from the room, pulling the door closed quietly behind him.
Lily
She stared at the doll for several minutes, memorizing every red dot from where Cohle had stuck himself and smiling at the mismatched buttons he'd used for its eyes. Guilt brought tears to her eyes as she reached out and stroked the tuft of white hair that had been crudely stitched onto it.
Cohle had made this for her, even after she'd said she'd hated him and shoved him and ran from him. It hit her that if he'd made it, then that meant he was back and snatching the doll, she bolted from the bed and through the door, down the hall, and up the stairs only to see Wastkin, perfectly dressed as he always was, giving her a sad look.
"I'm afraid you just missed them, dear. But he'll be back this evening." He said, smoothing her hair down. "I see you finished it."
She shook her head, holding the doll out. "Cohle." She murmured quietly.
"Ah." He smiled, clasping his hands behind his back. "That's what he was up to. Well, do be sure to thank him. Sewing does not appear to be one of his strengths."
Cohle
"Cohle! I, Theine of House Venge-"
"Shut up." He muttered, cutting the greasy looking teen off. "Only back five two minutes and already I have to deal with this."
"He's not one to give up after a loss. It's his only redeeming factor." A teen with strawberry hair said, smiling at him. "I'm Grace Venge."
"Cohle, but you already know that." He said, smirking.
"I'm afraid everyone in our family knows that." She replied with a giggle and stepped to the side. "You seemed on your way somewhere."
"Yeah, the tournament. Cel told me to-" A girl with raven hair brushed past him. "Reva?"
She turned and looked at him and he was taken aback slightly. She was more gaunt than she'd been before he left, and her presence seemed thin.
"Out of the way, halfbreed, we're already late." Another, older teen of similar appearance said, shoving Reva. "Let's go."
Reva seemed conflicted, but ultimately followed after her sister, glancing back several times as if trying to work out something in her head.
"That was actually nice for Athena." Grace muttered. "Reva's looking rough, though."
"Not that she ever really looked healthy." Theine added. "Something about that family is just off."
"Pot, meet kettle." Grace said, then looked at Cohle. "You were getting ready for the tournament?"
"Right! Thanks." He said, shaking his head. "It was nice meeting you. Theine, another time."
"Whatever." He mumbled darkly.
~
Feeling properly clean for the first time since leaving, he kicks back in the arena as the first match begins. Athena saunters out to deafening cheers and panders to the crowd as Reva walks out, looking distressed. Leaning forward to get a better look, he can tell that she doesn't quite know where she is and fumbles with her sword.
The signal for the match starts and Athena is already on top of her younger sister. The crowds cheers only grow louder as the match goes on, but it was clear that the older sister won with the first blow. Now is was just brutality for nearly three minutes until Athena was declared victor.
Cohle left his seat and sprinted down through the exit, catching up with the nurses as they carried Reva toward the administration building. Celestia gave him a confused look, but said nothing as he did his best to stay out of the way while traditional and magical medicine patched the girl up.
"She a friend?" One of the nurses asked.
"Kinda." He muttered.
She nodded and washed her hands. "Well, she shouldn't have been in that fight to begin with. She's practically falling apart. Her mana channels are a mess, she's malnourished, and her muscles needed stitching back together."
"I see."
"Do you know where her parents are?"
He shook his head slowly and she sighed in annoyance before walking out. As she lay on the bed, he couldn't help but to think that she looked diminished. Like a shadow fading in the light. Something had happened in his absence that brought her to this point and he felt his anger build again.
"I'll keep an eye on her. You have a match." Celestia said.
"Yeah."
~
Melody, somehow, looked worse than Reva had. There were red tendrils creeping up her neck and her armor seemed to be strapped on too tightly. The smell of decay hit his nose as well, and when the match started, he knew instantly that it was coming from her.
"What the hell happened? I wasn't even gone three months?" He asked the wild eyed seventeen year old.
"I need forgiveness." She wheezed, her breath more foul than the stench on her body.
"Alright." He sighed, now fully annoyed at everything happening around him.
He shoved her back, then drove the hilt of his sword into her stomach before sliding behind her and kicking a knee. He rested his sword against her neck. "Yield."
She grabbed his sword and swung her own at him. Narrowly dodging what would've been a killing blow in a nonlethal tournament, he released his sword and slipped behind her once more, delivering a powerful kick to her back.
She made a sound somewhere between a shriek and a balloon deflating before collapsing into the sand. The signal for the match to end went off and he was declared victor, but instead of leaving the arena, he knelt down and undid the buckles on her armor.
"Oh, come on!" He groaned when the smell doubled in potency.
Peeling it back, he saw the extent of the damage and was thankful he hadn't eaten that day as his stomach turned. Despite knowing that it would cripple him, he held his hand out and built a spell in his head before channeling mana into it.
The pain was immediate and blinding, and when his vision cleared, Melody slammed him into the ground. "NOW!"
He struggled to get away from her, but she was now the stronger and her grip was firm. "NOW!" She screamed again, looking to the crowd.
He slammed his knee into her groin and rolled out from under her, preparing himself for her to attack again, but she didn't. Instead she got to her feet and ambled listlessly from the arena, muttering incoherently.
After regaining his breath and equilibrium, he stumbled out as well and into Celestia's arms. "That was stupid."
"I know." He muttered. "How's Reva?"
"Stable for now. We're heading home so you can rest."
"Aw, already?" He grinned weakly.
"Smartass."
~
Before Celestia could stop her, Lily tackled Cohle to the ground, sobbing and shaking.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! I didn't, I swear!" She wailed.
His pain forgotten for the moment, he wrapped his arms around her tightly. "I know. You're still my sister, okay? I still love you. But you gotta get off me."
Wastkin helped Lily back up while Celestia helped Cohle. He smiled and pointed at the doll she was clutching. "How'd I do?"
She nodded and hugged him again, more gently this time and whispered, "Thank you."
"He'll keep you safe when I'm not here, okay?" He said.
When they broke apart, she refused to let anyone help him, sticking the doll in a pocket of her dress as she helped him up the stairs to his room.
"I'll bring your dinner as soon as it's ready, Master Cohle." Wastkin called up.
"Thanks." He tried to call back, but it came out as a rasp. "I think I'll just sleep, though."
By the time he made it to his bed, he was vaguely aware of Lily pulling his boots off and situating him under the covers before climbing in beside him. On any other day, under any other circumstances, he would've objected as kindly as he could. But he was too tired and there was something soothing about her warmth that he wouldn't fully understand until the following days.
Melody
"We'll be taking over from here, Paladin Indigo." Green said as he and the other two Paladins cornered her. "You're to return to the Capital and report your failure to the Lord Commander."
She blinked slowly and let out a breath. Her hand flashed and the small dagger was stained red as Green gaped at her. Blood poured from his neck and down his shirt. One of the others turned to flee, but the dagger pierced through the base of his skull, dropping him instantly.
Turning to the remaining Paladin, she pulled Green's dagger from his belt and advanced on him. "I cannot receive forgiveness if I don't complete the mission. Killing Cohle Venge will make the Lord see that I'm worthy of his light."
"Please, please, please-"
She stared at the dagger protruding from his eye as he hit the ground dully. "I begged once and the Lord showed me my path."